1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a transporting device that transports a recording medium, and a liquid ejecting apparatus equipped with the transporting device.
2. Related Art
Conventionally in an inkjet recording apparatus, a transporting device in which a recording medium (a material to be printed, such as a sheet) is made to be absorbed on an endless belt and is transported to a position facing to a liquid ejecting head is known.
Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2008-221764 (patent document 1) discloses an apparatus in which an inverted L-shaped first holding pallet that is capable of attracting a recording medium thereon and an inverted L-shaped second holding pallet that is formed so as to be symmetrical to the first holding pallet are moved by a linear motor, and for example, during a period in which a liquid is ejected from a liquid ejecting head onto the recording medium which on the first holding pallet, the second holding pallet is moved by the linear motor below the first holding pallet and is moved to return to an upstream side of the liquid ejecting head in a direction in which the recording medium is transported. Further, the above-described patent document 1 also discloses an apparatus in which plural holding pallets which are capable of holding a circular recording medium are moved in parallel to and in a horizontal direction with respect to the surface of the liquid ejecting head from which a liquid is ejected, whereby the holding pallets are moved to return to the original position.
In the above-described patent document 1, transport accuracy of the recording medium can be improved by using the linear motor compared with a case in which an endless belt is used. However, the linear motor is used even when the first holding pallet and the second holding pallet are moved to return to the upstream side of the liquid ejecting head, and therefore, the cost of such apparatuses becomes higher. Further, when the number of holding pallets is increased so as to achieve high-speed processing and the holding pallets are moved in the horizontal direction, the widthwise dimension of the apparatus becomes larger.